Tomsk. Day or two-day trips from Novosibirsk

Have a longer stay in Novosibirsk? Don’t hesitate, go on a one or two-days trip to Tomsk. Located approximately 250 km to the north of Novosibirsk, this cozy city will be a cherry on your cake. It is filled with carved wooden houses looking like they come from Russian fairy tales. Its world-recognized universities opened long before Novosibirsk was first mentioned. Old but youthfully vibrant, it won’t leave you untouched.

Tomsk started in 1604 as a fortress, very typically for that period of the Russian history. Siberia did not become a part of Russia overnight. Instead, this slow process lasted several long centuries. So fortresses were built to protect the first Russian settlers from the local nomadic tribes. The fortress was built on a hill over the river Tom, where now the museum of the history of Tomsk is located.

In the 18th century Tomsk lost its military position, but was made one of the exile places. Soon after that it became an important trading town, and in the 19th century the first university was established here.

Once Tomsk happened to be a transportation center, but after it was resolved to build the Trans-Siberian Railway 250 km to the south, where Novosibirsk stands now, the city abandoned this function. During the first half of the 20th century Tomsk was in decay, but after the World War II it was turned to one of the industrial centers and fundamental science was making further progress.

Today Tomsk is in its booming period. Plenty of IT and innovative enterprises open there, and tourism is now a great source of income. Tomsk is widely known for its architectural and historical monuments attracting numerous visitors from everywhere. Travelers stay in numerous hotels, guest houses and hostels, many of them located in historical buildings in the downtown.

At the same time you feel the spirit of vibrant youthfulness and innovations everywhere and hear conversations in many different languages while sitting in cozy cafes.

I invite you for a day or two-days trips to Tomsk! For a one-day trip we hire a private car/bus, starting from Novosibirsk early in the morning and coming back after 8 pm. For a two-day or longer trips we go by a public bus and spend a night or more in a hotel at your choice, and this choice is from simple hostels to luxurious hotels.

There is a variety of museums to visit, of which the Museum of the Slavic Mythos is a must!

We get back to Novosibirsk by a public bus or train the next day, or you can spend more time in Tomsk.